EDIFY!

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

What can you do to encourage someone today?

In the past weeks I have been in more meetings than I can count;  shelter project meetings, meetings about fundraising for the ministries, meetings about new ministry partnerships and opportunities to expand the brand of FREEDOM RECOVERY and the Jeremiah Tree. The list is seemingly endless. And while a little exhausting, every one of those meetings has been such an encouragement to me.

I love being around passionate and selfless folks; folks designing opportunities to serve the hurting, folks who are tireless in their efforts to bring healing to the addicted and broken, folks who continue to energize our efforts to do the same. 

It fires me up to keep building, keep working, and to keep dreaming.

I am sure I am not alone.

Without encouragement it is very easy to give in to despair. And while we cannot escape times of weariness and discouragement one word of encouragement from a friend can lift us out of a rut and back onto the road.

That is why we all need to be in the business of encouraging one another!

1 Thessalonians 5:11(MSG)

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up...

It is that important!

So I press you today to engage others in their walk with Christ.  Join with them in prayer and encouragement. Fuel their passions. Ask them to lift yours in prayer. 

Ephesians 5:19 (LB)

Talk with each other much about the Lord…

You see there is a real "churchy" word for this sort of thing; edify.

We are to edify one another.

It means to instruct or benefit, especially morally or spiritually; uplift:

Romans 15:2 (AMP)

Let each one of us make it a practice to please (make happy) his neighbor for his good and for his true welfare, to edify him [to strengthen him and build him up spiritually].

By doing so you too will be encouraged!  Trust me!

That is why I am so grateful for my ever increasing "edifying" team this morning; for Wally, for Jenny, for Kevin, for Tom, for Heidi, for Amy and others who these past weeks have EDIFIED me!

They are energizing me to keep pressing, to keep growing, to keep abiding, to keep learning and growing in faith!

So the question today I ask myself today is who I am encouraging? 

Am I offering edification?  Am I lifting others?  Am I doing what it takes to make others stronger in the faith?  Is there someone to share what the Lord is doing with today?

Maybe you need to ask the same question of yourself.

I am sure someone you encounter today could use a word or random act of encouragement.  Don’t hesitate.

Encourage them!

Edify them!  

Build them up!

“Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.” ― John C. Maxwell

YOU will be blessed!

 

I love you all

Have a great weekend.

Freedom Church